LOGINSierra freezes while my chest tightens with disbelief.âI didnât! I wasnât even in the house until this afternoon,â she says, calm but tense, her voice steady with anger.Brook sneers, taking a couple of steps down, her presence like a live wire. âYouâre lying. If I hadnât been quick enough, I would
Noah.Iâm walking up the stairs when I see her.Sierra freezes when she sees me and my chest tightens before I can stop it. Two weeks. Two long, quiet weeks of pretending she isnât a constant ache beneath my skin. Pretending that seeing her, hearing her laugh, and smelling her perfume doesnât pull m
She laughs, and for a few minutes, the sound fills the room, But then, out of nowhere, her tone shifts.âIâm glad youâre here. I love that you are here,â she says quietly. âI miss Mommy, but when youâre around, itâs not so sad.âThe words pierce something deep in me. My throat tightens, and I blink
Nolanâs expression instantly tightens with worry. âAre you okay?ââIâm fine, Itâs nothing bigâ I assure him quickly. âJust checkup to make sure my hand is healing well, and the baby is doing fine.âHis shoulders relax. âReally? Did you get to see your baby? I asked Mrs. Roberts at school and she tol
Iâm still smiling by the time I leave the clinic. The sun has climbed higher and the world somehow feels different.As I walk toward the car, my smile grows until I canât help the quiet laugh that escapes me.The driver spots me from the parking lot and hurries to open the car door. âAll done, Miss
Adrian looks up from his chart and when our eyes meet, as clichĂ© as it may sound, for a moment the world stops. Itâs like everything freezes in time except for theâSierra,â he greets with a warm smile. âGood to see you again.ââH-Hi,â I stammer, immediately feeling ridiculous.His gaze flicks to my







